Linda Burnip explains how the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement demonizes disabled people

It’s odd how a train of thought can develop when you least expect it to. But following on from the Autumn Statement which continues the demonization and scapegoating of disabled people, threatening to force people who are very ill and/or in agonising pain into working from home because it is their ‘duty’, at the same time as ramping up the sanctions regime and threatening to withhold free medicines from people, I had one of those moments.

I think it’s important to say that these jobs working solely from home actually don’t seem to exist which could of course be a major flaw in the government’s plans. But then it would be possible that even if you can’t find one of mythical jobs you could be sanctioned and have your social security payments withdrawn, leaving you without money for food or essential medication.

Last week too we were contacted by someone with a rare genetic disorder who is also diabetic. In 2019 she went to France to see her dying aunt and was out of the UK for less than five hours. For some reason unknown to her, or to us, the Department for Work and Pensions are now asking for the ferry tickets fromfour4 years ago and have told her not only will they stop her payments but will end her right to free prescriptions if she doesn’t provide them. Of course in the UK as a whole it is only in England that people have to pay for prescriptions and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland they are free for all.

But anyhow, back to my train of thought. If you’re diabetic, and probably there are many other conditions the same, and your right to medicines, right to food and fuel are removed from you it is a death sentence and nothing less. This led me onto to thinking that the only other death sentence meted out in the UK would be for treason and then you would have a trial by jury who would decide if you were guilty or innocent. Disabled people though can effectively be sentenced to death by the actions of a medically unqualified Job Centre coach who without any redress available to the claimant can remove the necessities you need to live.

Of course we’ve seen this happen to many, many disabled people already as evidenced by the work collating information on the Death by Welfare timeline, but with the new government plans to scrap the Work Capability Assessment, ramp up sanctions and allow Job Centre staff to decide how ill someone is, it seems likely it will be happening more and more.

Disabled People Against Cuts have been contacted by large numbers of terrified disabled people wondering why they are being so viciously attacked by this government’s plans when all they’ve done is become disabled in some way through no fault of their own. The only comforts we can offer are that firstly none of these changes will happen before 2025 and if the Tories lose the election we can only hope these changes never happen at all.

Elllen Clifford, one of our steering group members, is already taking the government to court over the inadequate consultation carried out on the changes planned and we have other potential legal challenges in the pipeline. Last Friday evening we protested outside DWP head office and will keep doing so for as long as is needed.

Obviously we can only hope that if a Labour government is elected at the next General Election they immediately scrap these abominable plans and instead offer a real alternative safety net for disabled claimants, although at the moment that may seem a bit like a good dream.

Linda Burnip is co-founder of Disabled People Against Cuts.